1

New Mexico State University/Physical Science Laboratory

Technical Analysis and Applications Center

Steve Hottman

February 28, 200824th Annual National Test & Evaluation Conference

RDT&E to Advance UAS Access to the National Airspace System

2

• Established in 1946 to support missile testing of V-2/Aerobee rocket testing at WSPG

• Multi-disciplined, aerospace- and defense-oriented scientific and technical organization

• A TOP SECRET cleared facility

NMSU/Physical Science Laboratory Overview

3

UAS Demonstrations and T&E

4

Las Cruces T&E WSMR

WSMR

Las Cruces

Asymmetric Threat

IED Demo

OSD-LEWK

Playas

Combat Search & Rescue

Denied GPS Environment

Orbiter

DHS/Border

5

Detect, Sense, and Avoid

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

AvoidanceCPU

Autopilot

InterfacePanel

Octec Tracker Cards

Auto-pilot Servos

75� Left 75� Right

46�

36� 36�

46�

Geneva FlightTEK Autopilot

SAFD System Detail: SchematicSAFD System Detail: Schematic

Basler Cameras

Sentinel and SAVDS

ATDSS-III

ERAST

WSMR

Las Cruces

6

Alaska

Fisheries

Fairbanks Area Fires

NORAD Traffic Separation

PhysicalScienceLaboratory

New Mexico State University

Trans Alaskan Pipeline Flight Route

Bering Sea Maritime Boundary Flight Route

PhysicalScienceLaboratory

New Mexico State University

Trans Alaskan Pipeline Flight Route

7

UAS Research

8

Air Traffic Control Research

9

Approach

Field evaluation of UAS symbology at FAA Air Traffic Controllocations• Aircraft call signParticipants• Seattle, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, Denver, New York En

Route Centers and New Orleans, Denver, High Desert (Edwards AFB), Tucson, Albuquerque TRACONs

• 53 ARTCC controllers, 46 TRACON controllers

10

Potential UAS Symbology

• Aircraft call signs are used by air traffic controllers to identify individual aircraft:

– UAV173– UM9417– UIN237 (uses aircraft registration number)– UN4237 (uses aircraft registration number)

• The data block (right) appears on the controller’s radar scope. Flight progress strips (below) are printed on pieces of paper.

���������� ����

��������������������������� ���

���

� ����

��

���

�������������������� ������!�

���

"������#��������������

������

11

UAS Operator Requirements

Landing task description3 miles from airportLined up on centerline500’ AGLSubstantial crosswindRunway – 200’ width; 7000’ longAcceptable landing parameters

-- Runway location-- Heading-- Vertical velocity

Results• Data included as part of book chapter

“Required Attributes and Skills of UAV Operators” for the future Human Factors of Remotely Piloted Vehicles volume of the Advances in Human Performance and Cognitive Engineering Research series.

12

Handling Qualities

• Developing an assessment scale for UAS handling qualities. Derived from the Cooper-Harper aircraft handling qualities scale

• The UAS handling qualities scale will be multidimensional (unlike Cooper-Harper), non-intrusive, and will not compromise flight safety.

• The development of the UAS handling qualities scale will involve two empirical phases: dimension identification and validation. After scale construction, both content validity and inter-rater reliability will be empirically evaluated.

13

Trust in Automation• Conducted an experiment that

found time pressure increased trust and compliance in automation. This is beneficial to overall human-automation performance when the automation is highly reliable.

• Second experiment indicated that this increase in trust carries over to second session even when time pressure is removed.

• Third experiment indicated that time pressure is only effective when task is difficult and participants feel that the automation is doing a good job.

• Fourth experiment reveals a function by which the more time given to complete the task, the less compliance participants have in the automation.

Accuracy as a function of time allowed

70

80

90

100

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Time Allowed (secs)

Acc

urac

y (%

)

Accuracy During Difficult Task

50

60

70

80

90

100

Baseline 100 95 80 65

Reliability Level

Acc

urac

y (%

)

Speeded

Unspeeded

14

UAS Flight Test Center

15

UAS Regulatory Status• No regulations exist for UAS; only guidance• No empirical data exists to help drive regulatory

development• Access to airspace• Civil – Experimental Airworthiness Certificate

• Public – Certificate of Authorization

16

Need for UAS Flight Test Center

• COA process used for public aircraft operators• Experimental airworthiness certificates required for

commercial operators– Data must be generated to substantial airworthiness

• To generate data, you must be able to fly• To fly in the NAS, you must have an experimental airworthiness

certificate• To obtain an airworthiness certificate, flight data are required

• No authorized flight areas exist for UAS• FAA needs data for development of regulations

17

Why A Test Center? Why NMSU? • UAS are Different

– Manned Aircraft under testing and development can comply with 14 CFR Part 91

– Private Industry needs a place to do basic Research and Development

• Many are not ready for the FAA Experimental Certification process

• Not just for aircraft…..payloads

– UAS are still very immature

TAAC 2007 Federal AviationAdministration

• Experience with UAS– Foundational SOP’s in place and exercised– Ability to collect and process significant data– Solid and credible safety record

• Over 8 years operational experience– Experienced UAS personnel

• Location –– “It’s not the end of the world, but you can see

it from there…..”– Very sparsely populated– Low density Air Traffic– Climate is favorable

• Establishing a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRDA)– Outlines the risk management process similar to that being applied by FAA today

• FAA will require data on a routine basis• NMSU is a Public Organization and thus qualifies for a COA

– All testing/R&D will be conducted as directed by FAA under the COA • Provides for a controlled testing environment while minimizing impact to other NAS users as well as

people/property on the ground

How?

18

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (LZW) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

19

Southwest New Mexico Airspace

McGre

gor

Range

Holloman AFB

WSMR

NMSU/PSL COA

Call Up Areas

Cal

l Up

Are

as

Las Cruces Airport

Stallion AAF

Condron AAF*

*

**

*Biggs AAF*Playas

• Largest DoD-controlled air and ground space in the U.S.

• Slightly smaller than Connecticut – 7,105 sq mi

• USAF air traffic control from “surface to space”

• NMSU/PSL COA >12,000 sq mi

20

Sweden/Arctic

• Currently performing Arctic airspace study with FAA UAPO

• Arctic overflights proposed since 2003

• CY05 USA/Sweden Space Exploration Agreement and International Polar Year with Swedish Space Corporation

• High-altitude balloon experience

SwedenAlaska

21

Summary• Routine access to the NAS is not yet

available• The regulatory body for UAS

requires development• Significant RDT&E is required

before realistic “file and fly” in the NAS exists

• Formal studies with resultingempirical data will assist with FAA certification issues

UAS Flight Test Center provides NAS access and a T&E environment